A Fairytale is a Metaphor
by Barricades Arise
Summary: NEW VERSION Ever After High as a modern real-life AU exploring LGBT concepts. Apple White, a picture-perfect future leader in the conservative city of Everest, has been endlessly excited for her formerly-disappeared friend Ryland Queen to return to her school, only to find that Ryland is now...Raven? Explores several characters. CW homophobia, transphobia, suggestive themes.
1. No One Mourns the Wicked

**Welcome to the new version of A Fairytale is a Metaphor, a real-life-modern-AU fic that explores Ever After High as a metaphor for LGBT issues. Warnings for homophobia and transphobia, as this fic does and will include those issues, along with other problems like self-denial. Overall, this fic narrates the workings and development of a newly-forged LGBT community in the fictional conservative city of Everest.**

 **I'm also hoping that, as the story progresses, it will also serve to help readers understand the LGBT community a little better. This fic will also touch on what it means to be intersex (in short, born with a biological sex disorder), aromantic-asexual (never experiencing romantic or sexual attraction), and gender-nonconforming (stepping outside of "acceptable" gender roles, ex. crossdressing), which are not necessarily LGBT traits but still important to recognize in this context.**

 **Some characters are genderbent for the purpose of this story. For example, Jillian Beanstalk is now Julian, and Hunter Huntsman is now Huntelle.**

* * *

"I hear that Eva Queen is dead."

" _The_ Eva Queen?!" exclaims Blondie, slamming her perfectly petite hands down on the table- not too loudly, mind you. In fact, despite her outrage, her volume is just right to be heard by her companions. "You can't be serious! The quote-unquote _Wicked Witch of Everest_ is dead?"

Briar nods, catching her sunglasses as they're shaken from her head by the vigorous motion. "Crazy, right? It happened, like, a week ago."

"No! Impossible! We would have known the-day-of if that were the case! Oh, don't tell me it's already old news," the blonde laments, slowly sitting back down in her seat at the outdoor café table at which she and her friends had settled. "How exciting that must be. The biggest news of the century, and it has already passed. Eva Queen, former and absolute worst mayor of Everest, finally dies after going into hiding for half a decade."

"Well, I say a polite farewell to Evil Eva," Ashlynn comments, looking at the other girls through a thick lock of ginger hair.

"I think we can all agree to that," Briar replies with a nod. She lifts her cappuccino, brandishing it like a speaker at a wedding reception. "Farewell, Evil Eva. May there never be a mayor like you again. No more of your racism, your iron fist, your weird hatred of the neighboring cities, or your snobby attitude."

Her cup is accompanied by Blondie's, then Ashlynn's, in an impromptu toast. The three cast eyes at the fourth member of their table, Apple White, daughter of the city's biggest business mogul and a local politician. Her pale hands nest her warm cup of coffee delicately, lowered to her lap, where her eyes follow the gently ebbing liquid. Her friends' silly celebration fizzles into confusion when they see the slight furrow of her brow, her polite but uneasy expression.

Ashlynn knits her brows as she and Briar glance at each other, and she lowers her mocha frappuccino. "Is something wrong, Apple?"

Apple's head snaps up, followed by a distinct bounce in her voluminous, pale hair. She blinks several times, her eyes scanning her friends' concerned faces before she gathers herself into a certain calmness, a nonverbal _please don't worry_. "So sorry, Ashlynn," she says with a little handwave. "I was only thinking about school."

"You think about school too much," Briar groans. "Actually, you think too much. Enjoy the coffee. Take a moment to bask in the warm glow of freedom from the terror that was Eva Queen. We're a new, free generation, ready to tackle the world and start rebuilding, and you're thinking about...thinking about...wow, suddenly I don't feel like going out and rebuil…" Briar's sentence is cut off by a yawn, and before she can get another word out, she's fast asleep, sunglasses conveniently falling over her eyes.

Blondie chuckles, though she clasps a hand on Briar's shoulder to keep her from falling down. "Rebuilding! Now that would be a warm, heart-tugging story. Making new buildings to replace the ones that Eva's whims destroyed. Curing the plague in Wondersville."

"Returning Everest to order," Apple adds with a sharp nod. "Eva's reign made everyone go crazy. Now every other teen is just going around, taking advantage of the looming fear of her terrorism to engage in sexual exploits, to take unnecessary risks. Hopefully, we'll put everyone back into place. Everyone will know where they belong, like they used to. People will fall in love and dedicate their lives to one another. The upper class will get along with the lower class." She blinks, staring at Blondie. "I'm terribly sorry, I meant the _working_ class, Blondie. Truly. I understand how important the place of your parents is in this society, and I don't mean to call them-"

"Don't you worry about it. I'm not like them, remember? I'm on your level," Blondie says with a proud beam.

Apple shakes her head. "It isn't about levels, Blondie. It's about everyone working together to create a functioning society, and no one's career should be devalued based on monetary income or prestige alone. Everyone has their place, passed down by their parents. You should be proud of that."

"What's this about hook-ups? Sexual exploits? I haven't noticed a particular increase," Ashlynn cuts in as she walks back over, having gotten a pair of extra chairs for Briar to lie down on. Blondie helps her move the sleeping sophomore onto her back, making sure she's adjusted comfortably before leaving her alone to sleep soundly.

Apple bites her lip. "You haven't? It's everywhere. All of these love triangles are popping up, and things never end well because there's no commitment. Even Daring…" She pauses, chewing down on her already blood-red lip a little harder. "Even Daring keeps _dating_. He tells me that it's nothing serious. That he's just having _fun_ before we get married. That I don't have to worry because we're betrothed, and that means we'll be together. But..."

"But think of the STDs!" Blondie supplies, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Think of the broken hearts," Ashlynn murmurs sympathetically. "Apple, that's not right. He's cheating on you."

Apple sighs softly. Then, she shakes her head, pulling her mouth in a soft smile. "No, I know he'll come around. I'm not hurt by it. I just worry about the morality of this generation. The spread of sexually transmitted diseases is a serious problem. And that's only the tip of the iceberg. There are students our age having premarital sex, sometimes multiple times! And sometimes…"

Apple has to take another deep breath. "Sometimes, it's homosexual. And sometimes, it's with both men and women. How can you do that? How can you betray your inherent sense of right and wrong for sexual pleasure? At the same time, I pity them. Maybe they've been brainwashed. Like...like Huntelle Huntsman. You know how she's…?"

Blondie gasps. "A lesbian! That's right!"

"She's exactly the kind of person I want to help. Perhaps, if we can resolve the fear of Eva and start to rebuild Everest, she'll calm down and return to tradition. We'll have to help Kitty Cheshire and Julian Beanstalk, too. Do you know them? Kitty, she...she thinks she likes both. She can't have enough, is what I think, and she needs to get help. And Julian, too. He...he's gay, Blondie!"

"What a hit!" Blondie beams, pulling out her iPad.

"Wait," Ashlynn says, putting a hand on Blondie's iPad. "Don't keep track of that. That's for him and the people he tells to know. Not everyone needs to know a person's sexuality. And he shouldn't be harmed for it."

"Ashlynn is right," Apple agrees. "Don't embarrass the poor guy. We'll help him quietly, so he can save face and not have to deal with the shame of turning away from tradition in public. I don't support public humiliation, or physical harm. Maybe he just needs some other, more confident men to open up to, and then he'll see where he went wrong."

"Julian seems pretty confident to me," Ashlynn murmurs.

Apple shakes her head. "It makes me sad just talking about it, to think of all of these teens led astray. Premarital sex, orgies, homosexuality. I never saw these things in our city before Eva turned everything upside-down. Now, it's everywhere. The people are afraid, and they need a moral authority to lead them. Someone who will head projects to reconstruct fallen buildings, to help the Wondersville people, to lead Everest back to the right path. And...and I would like to be that person. In fact, I'm going to go to my mother and ask when the next building project is."

"That's so perfect! I'll get some footage for a documentary! _Climbing Everest: The Reconstruction of a Fallen City_." Blondie holds her hands out, like she's envisioning the words bolded right in front of her. "But...have you ever built something, Apple?" she asks, tilting her head.

"...Festival floats," Apple concedes. "But I'm willing to learn. A good leader doesn't have to know everything, but she must be open to learning."

"Yes. Open to learning," Ashlynn repeats quietly, behind the straw of her drink. "Very important quality in any leader. In people, in fact."

Apple nods, grinning. "I'm glad you agree, Ashlynn. Ooh, I've also been meaning to have a food and clothing drive for Wondersville, while it's still locked in quarantine. Would you be willing to help me set that up?"

"Sure," Ashlynn replies, perking up a little. "I have so many shoes that I don't wear anymore, it isn't even funny. And most of them are still in great shape."

"Oh, we _knooow_ ," Blondie croons, breaking into a laugh that earns her a playful scoff from the redhead. She just laughs harder at that. "I did a school article on it, remember? I thought you were going to break a Guinness World Record with your sports shoes alone!"

Ashlynn chuckles a little at that, and Apple giggles heartily, taking a long sip of her coffee with a golden smile. Ashlynn shakes her head, sitting beside Blondie. She sees Blondie scrolling through her iPad, looking for some of the photos she took of that legendary, obnoxious shoe collection, and Ashlynn reaches over, messing with the screen. Blondie lightheartedly bats her hand away, insisting that she's going to show off those pictures and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

A tangle of brown and pink hair pops up- Briar, who has only just awoken and snapped into action, is looking around the café patio like it's an alien world. "...Rebuilding."

"Welcome back," Apple greets, sliding Briar's drink toward her.

"Welcome, me," Briar says groggily, taking a long swig. "Hey, what were we talking about? Eva Queen? She died, right? Wait, yeah, she died. I'm the one who told you that. I told you that, yeah?"

"Yep," Blondie chirps, still battling with Ashlynn for control over the iPad. "And now we're looking for pictures of Ashlynn's beautiful shoe mountain."

"Not a mountain," Ashlynn protests.

"Here, I think I have some shots of that," Apple replies, pulling out her phone. Briar leans to look over her shoulder, but Apple doesn't move past the lock screen, a picture of none other than her fiancé Daring Charming.

"He's so...charming," Briar breathes, resting her hand beneath her chin.

Apple, however, is less concerned by the picture and more concerned by the time listed. She puts the phone down, looking around at her three best friends. "Girls, we can't talk about Eva Queen anymore."

Blondie cocks her head to one side. "Why not, Apple? What happened to her is the biggest thing to happen here since the Wondersville kids came to stay in our town!"

Apple clears her throat cautiously. "...Her son will be here soon."

Ashlynn intakes a sharp gasp. "What? Her son is coming back to Everest right after her death? That's insane!"

"Ryland Queen, the mayor's son who left with his mother!" Blondie is swept up in hysterics, having abandoned the pictures on her iPad in favor of turning the camera on and putting it right in front of Apple's face. "Forget old news, this is big! How do you know he's coming back? How do you know he's coming here today? Have you been in contact with him this entire time? Most importantly, what will the others think of his return?!"

"Blondie, please stop," Apple murmurs, putting a hand in front of the camera of the device. "Ryland Queen isn't anything like his mother, remember? He's a good, sensible kid. He was my friend back in elementary and I, for one, am more than glad that he has come back to live with his father and attend our school."

"No way! Is he cute now?" Briar asks, leaning right up against Apple. "Tell us everything. Don't tell me you hid this from us."

Apple shakes her head, leaning away. "We just got back into contact about a week ago. He told me not to tell anyone, but...well, since you're about to see him any minute now, I figured it was alright to say it."

"How does he look?" asks Blondie.

"I don't know," Apple admits. "I haven't seen him. Or heard him, actually. We've only been messaging each other. All I know is that he's coming back and he's happy to see me again. And I'm quite happy to see him. And that's that, so please, unless you're going to be celebrating his return with open arms and warm smiles, don't try to make a big deal out of this."

"I remember his scruffy black and purple hair," Blondie swoons. She turns the camera off, but instinctively continues to hold the iPad up to her face. "He was so pale and dainty, the prettiest boy I've ever seen."

"The violet eyes were kind of strange," Ashlynn admits. "Just like his mother's. They resemble each other a lot, don't you think? I know you say he's a good guy, Apple, and I trust you, but it's just uncanny. It makes me nervous."

"Don't be," Apple says softly, placing a manicured hand on Ashlynn's. "Ryland was one of my closest friends. He's great." She looks around the table. "Anyway, his mother died recently and I'm certain he's sensitive about it, so please be delicate and respectful. He's due here in only a minute and-"

A big, black car pulls up to the café, with blacked windows and a small silver sculpting of a fierce bird of prey on its hood, such a stark contrast with the plain café and sunny street that the girls stop in their tracks to watch it come to a stop. Monstrous wheels slow before halting just in front of the café doors, and hard metal music blasts through the machine into the unexpecting open air.

"That's him," Apple breathes, and the others nod. They can all tell. After all, it's Eva Queen's favorite car that has just stopped before them, stilling the atmosphere around it despite that loud, angry music that is so uncommon to find in a pristine, quiet town like Everest. If not for the recent news, seeing this car would have been a harbinger of more evil to come, but with the former mayor out of the picture, the only option is that Ryland Queen has returned to his hometown.

The driver's side is obscured, though it can be heard opening, and to Apple's ears, it's like the creak of the old door at her grandmother's house, the warm welcoming of someone who has gone unseen for far too long. She can hear his footsteps as they hit the hard pavement, wrapping around to the front of the car, until…

Heels. Heels, and curves, and long hair, and a _girl_ steps out from behind the vehicle. A girl with black and purple hair, and eerie violet eyes. With all the curves and lips and lashes of an average sophomore girl, perhaps even more so, standing tall in her high-heeled boots and menacing with spikes on her accessories.

A girl who looks terrifyingly like a younger Eva Queen.

As she walks toward them, smiling brightly through darkly-painted lips, Ashlynn, Briar, and Blondie all carefully slide their chairs back, stunned and confused. Apple swallows her shocked reaction before standing up and meeting this new girl halfway, her red lace and white pearls contrasting with the arrival's black and violet.

The girl opens her arms as if for a hug, and simultaneously Apple offers a hand to shake. The girl freezes, embarrassed, before politely, firmly shaking Apple's hand. Apple can sense tremors in this girl's hand- and why is that? Apple should be the one shaking. This younger clone of the most despicable woman ever known by the city of Everest has just shown up at her table.

"Hey, Apple," the girl says in a quiet, strained voice that shakes even more than her hands.

Apple nods in greeting. "Hello, there. Are you Ryland's sister? Has something happened to him?"

The black-haired girl clears her throat, taking a step back, though she clearly tries to keep her posture warm and open. "No, no. Don't worry. Nothing bad happened."

Apple nods slowly. "Well...why don't you sit down with us? You can tell us what's keeping Ryland, and we can get to know you."

"Nothing's keeping-" The girl looks off to the side, and while her voice is already quiet, she drops it even further. "Apple, I need you to take a deep breath for me, okay? There's something I really need to tell you, and only you."

Apple raises an eyebrow. "I...I don't even know who you are, but...if you're with Ryland, I suppose...what is it?"

The girl takes a deep breath of her own. For a moment, it seems like she'll never speak, though Apple readily tucks her hair behind her ears, wondering what this unexpected guest could possibly need to tell her that was so private.

"Tell me, please?"

"I, um…" The girl takes a step forward, and Apple, though intimidated by her resemblance as well as her sheer height in those heels, respectfully remains where she is instead of stepping back.

The girl's voice is barely audible. "Apple, I am...I _was_ Ryland. I'm Raven, now. I transitioned into a girl." The one calling herself Raven then steps back, holding out her arms again and putting on a hopeful, but hesitant, smile. "It's so good to see you again, old friend! It's been so long!"

But Apple doesn't hug her. She would have hugged Ryland, of course, but this- this isn't- this _is_ Ryland, but it isn't. He changed. Or she? Her brain isn't registering the words. There's no way that little Ryland, the boy who drew with her for hours on end, who rescued her when other boys were bullying her, who talked to her about the craziest things that kids talk about, could have turned into _this_. How could he? Ryland is- was- a good guy. He couldn't possibly turn away from tradition so extremely in just five years of his life- could he?

How did Ryland become this? It just isn't possible. It isn't feasible. Did his mother poison his mind? Did he try to make him so much like her twisted self that she made him into a little clone of her? Raven is still standing there, her arms open and her smile slowly fading into a nervous expression.

Apple slowly shakes her head, mouth slightly agape. She covers that mouth with a dainty hand that's certainly shaking now, and in a moment, she has run away to the café restroom.

Raven drops her arms, defeated. The girls at the table all stare at her, having not heard most of the conversation. She looks down for a long moment, frozen in mortification, unsure of what to do next. She didn't know what she had been expecting- she knew that Everest was a very traditional city, and that Apple was a very traditional girl- but she hadn't anticipated that she would just run away.

Briar clears her throat. Raven finally looks up, only to see that Briar hasn't moved an inch, Ashlynn is awkwardly sipping at her beverage, and Blondie naturally has her iPad pointed directly at Raven's face. The blonde is practically lying on the table to get as close to Raven as she possibly can, and from her mouth spills a barrage of questions.

"Did you tell her what happened to Ryland? Is that why she ran? What did happen to Ryland, anyway? And who are you? Does Ryland have a secret twin sister? Wait, you aren't one of those evil twins, are you? We don't need another evil Queen in this town. Nah, I bet you're just fine. But really, what happened? Oh, and what happened to your mother? How did she die? Did you see her die?"

"Blondie!" Ashlynn says, aghast. "You don't just ask someone if she watched her mom die!"

Raven clears her throat, taking one more step toward the table. The words in her mind come out quickly, but still very quiet, and with as little emotion as possible. "When you see Apple, tell her that this is for her. A four-and-a-half-year late birthday gift." She pulls something out of her jacket pocket and puts it down on the table.

While the girls are looking at the object- a weird little clearance souvenir keychain, with a rhinestone apple on it and the words _A-Peel-Ing to the Core_ \- Raven runs back to her car, slams the door shut, and before long, the sound of the engine is fading into the distance.

The three girls all look at each other, simultaneously wondering what went on and communicating that they can't answer that question.

"I, uh...I have to go," Ashlynn half-whispers, standing up from her seat. "I have a shoe-fitting with Huntelle. J-Just, um...just as a customer. See you."

"I should get going too," Briar murmurs with another yawn. "Who knows where I'll be next time narcolepsy hits?"

Blondie nods. "I'll walk you back, and then go to the news lab. I have some new footage to search through."

The other two girls stare at her.

"Not to broadcast! Jeez, you know I always get permission. Ever since that incident with Cerise."

The girls take their coffees. With one last farewell, they part ways.

It's a solid ten minutes before Apple comes out, breathing heavily and looking around frantically for Raven. However, all she finds is the empty patio table, with her own coffee cup and a strange little, glimmering keychain. She picks it up, raising an eyebrow and observing it carefully.

With a heavy sigh, she sits down at the table, pushes her cup away, and buries her head in her folded arms.

* * *

 **The next chapter will also center around Apple and Raven, but after that, expect to find the stories of other characters, like Daring Charming's fleeting affair with Red Hearts (male!Lizzie), Cerise and Ramona's complicated family structure, and Ashlynn's secret relationship with Huntelle.**

 **R &R if your heart desires!**


	2. Another Can of Worms

Raven's reception at school the next day is a mixed bag.

On one hand, which she'd much like to ignore, there are those who see her and are instantly stricken by the ghost of her mother that haunts over her similar features. She is, after all, Eva Queen's unknown daughter, the frightening young girl who spent her entire childhood being brainwashed by that dark influence, or so they say.

But on the _other_ hand, everyone is so distracted by her mysterious past that they completely overlook any other secrets she might be hiding— which means that, for once, she's a normal teenage girl. Well, as "normal" as the daughter of a horrifically corrupt former mayor can be. It would be nice if, say, people would talk to her, but she doesn't really mind, especially given that she has so much school work to catch up on.

It is this order of business which brings her to the library during her lunch period, so that she can study in silence and try to cram two months of learning into an afternoon. She settles herself at a table in the corner which is obscured from wandering eyes by monumental bookshelves. Four thick textbooks drop heavily from her tired arms onto the old, blemished wood of the small table, and she takes a seat.

Unfortunately, Raven isn't used to picking up on things quickly. This proves to be a disadvantage when she's reading over the same paragraph for the third or fourth time, not sure how the last passage connects to the next one in any way. Under her breath, she laments: perhaps she should just go to her teacher during tutoring hours and ask for a lesson.

Then she thinks of going to Mr. Rumpelstiltskin's classroom during tutoring hours— those horrific, beady eyes and snaggly teeth, brimming with such vile sadism that it's a wonder he's still allowed to teach— and winces. She knows his reputation for exploiting manual labor from his students whenever they show imperfection. She'd rather keep reading.

So that's what she does. She reads and reads. Her fingers robotically turn each page as she tries to retain every phrase and formula, though it doesn't stop her from having to backtrack. After several minutes, she finally feels like she's hit a groove, and she smiles to herself, determined to get this done. She could spend the rest of the lunch period like this, and then come back to the library during study period to finish the other chapters, as long as she keeps reading at this rate. Minutes pass in perfect, blissful silence, her concentration unbroken as the barrier of bookshelves seems to keep her isolated from the rest of the library.

A small cough from across the table makes Raven jump in her seat.

When she looks up, the first thing to catch her eyes is a bright red pair of lips that demands attention in contrast to snow-white skin. Raven then takes in the rest of what's before her, and in all of her awkwardness, she hangs her head, gluing her eyes down to the textbook.

Apple clears her throat again, less sheepishly than before. "May I sit here?"

"Uh. Oh, yeah," Raven mumbles, keeping her eyes down. She looks up when she feels Apple's eyes on her, realizing that this is going to be a conversation. There's a look on Apple's face, all furrowed brows and regret.

Nervousness lies thick in her throat until Apple speaks again: "I'm sorry for running off yesterday."

Raven blinks. "You—" _You are?_ She's about to ask, but even in her surprise, she knows better. "...It's okay, Apple. Really."

Then Apple's face transforms into a brilliant smile, showing off bright white teeth that Raven remembers being crooked, but are now sorted into perfect rows. Apple must have had braces at some point during all of those years apart. Raven can't imagine Apple with braces. "I'm so glad," the blonde breathes. "With that out of the way, we can catch up, right?"

"Of course. Yes. I'd like that." And it's true. Raven feels at ease for a moment, letting her shoulders unwind from their square position.

"How have you been?" asks Apple, who is clearly brimming with curiosity. "More than that, _where_ have you been?"

"Oh, all over," Raven replies. "Philadelphia. New York City. Austin. Las Vegas. Seattle. All in a van. All with...well, with mom."

"You poor thing."

"I mean, don't worry about that. She and I were really close, sure, but...she was also kind of evil. It's complicated."

"Not that," Apple corrects, much to Raven's surprise. "My apologies for the confusion. I was talking about your life on the road. It must have been hectic, travelling so much to get away from Everest. Not only that, but you've been so misplaced from our culture. From any culture, really. You never got time to form long-lasting relationships with peers. It must have been a very confusing time for you, my friend."

Raven shrugs, a little wary. "I liked going to all of those new cities. Every day was an eye-opening experience. Sure, there were some parts that made me feel confused, or lonely, but every kid goes through that when they're growing up. I'm more confident in myself right now than I ever have been."

Apple nods politely. It's a little robotic. In fact, everything about her seems a little robotic, and Raven hates herself for noticing it. "I am glad to hear that," Apple determines. "I do hope you're adjusting well to your return to Everest, then. We're all glad to have you back."

Raven realizes that when Apple says "we're all glad," what she really means is that _she's_ glad. It can't be any other way, because given how the other students have treated her thus far, it's clear they don't even recognize her as a former Everest resident to begin with, and their reactions have been far from a warm welcome. Still, she manages a smile, because Apple truly seems happy that Raven has returned to her after all of these years. That's what matters. "Thanks, Apple. The return has been a little weird, but it's nice to settle down somewhere after so much constant travel, I guess. Dad's so excited to have me back, as soon as I walked in the door he had an ice cream cake waiting for me!" She chuckles. "He...forgot that I'm lactose intolerant. I can't blame him. It's been so long, and I know he has trouble with his memory sometimes. But it was just...so nice. So sweet."

Then Raven thinks of something, an anchor in her own memory. "Hey, do you remember the time we all happened to be at the lake? You were there for your summer swim lessons, and my dad had wanted to take me fishing."

"But he forgot the worms," Apple chimes in. Something in her smile loosens, becoming more organic.

"He did. And I told you about it, and you thought it was a real shame. You said you'd help us out by—"

"By digging for worms," Apple groans, burying her reddened face in her hands.

"So we stuck our hands in the mud and started digging. We got ourselves all dirty, but we just kept digging. And I thought it would be funny to pour some mud down the back of your swimsuit, so I did, and then _you_ decided to give me a 'mud facial' in retaliation..."

She squirms. "Ugh, that was terrible! We didn't even find any worms. And my parents got so mad about having to clean me up afterward."

Raven watches Apple carefully, and as much as the blonde is trying to hide herself in mortification, it's clear that she's stifling laughter. It's very human. For a moment, Raven is simultaneously elated to see this undignified side of her friend and bothered that she's trying to conceal it.

Raven, on the other hand, doesn't restrain her laughter. It earns her a "ssshhh" from one of the librarians that's loud enough to reverberate deafeningly through the maze of shelves. Raven quiets down and sighs fondly. "That was a trip."

Apple finally takes her hands out of her head. She's shaking her head, but the smile remains. "That was just one of those silly little ideas that kids get. I don't know what I was thinking."

"My dad thought it was very sweet of you to try to help us out. He even thanked you."

"Yes— through his laughter. He was always so easy-going."

"Now you know where I get it from."

"Sure," Apple giggles. They look at each other for a moment, just grinning at the old memory.

Apple's eyes are the first ones to cast themselves away, down to the table. By the time she has returned to looking at Raven, her smile has become robotic once more. The blue in her eyes turns from flowing water to crisp, delicate ice. Raven nearly winces at the sudden change.

"Speaking of which," the blonde says carefully, "what does your father think of this?"

Raven raises an eyebrow. "Of...my return? Well, like I said, he's super excited about it."

Apple clears her throat. "No, no. Again, my apologies if I've confused you. What does your father think of your...transformation?"

"Oh," Raven murmurs. "He's fine with it. I mean, he always wanted a daughter. So did my mom, actually. He was a little confused at first, but there's nothing wrong with that. He's open-minded. That's what counts."

The nod that Apple gives in return is a little too careful. "Your parents wanted a daughter."

"Well, I mean...they were fine with a son, too."

"Ryland, do you think, possibly, that your parents' wishes for you as a child may have—"

"Don't call me that," Raven cuts in defensively. "Gah, sorry, it's just— you can't call me that when people might be around to hear. Okay?"

"Oh, no, I'm sorry. I understand completely," Apple replies, in a way that shows she doesn't understand at all. To her credit, she lowers her voice. "Ashlynn pointed something like this out to me recently. If other people know, then you might get harassed. I don't want that for you. You don't deserve harassment. You deserve to be treated discreetly and quietly so that you can easily integrate back into a complete and healthy lifestyle."

"Was this why you came to talk to me?" Raven backs her chair up, inwardly scolding herself for ever letting her guard down. "Because you want me to be 'treated'? Because you think I'll just turn back into a guy if I get enough 'treatment'?"

Apple sighs gently. "Please try to understand. I know you've been affected by the rigidity of gender roles, which is quite the problem, but I want you to know that it's okay to be feminine. You don't have to be masculine to be straight. I've been reading up on how gender roles affect a person's sense of culture, and I've learned that it can be difficult for feminine men to understand that they don't need to turn to homosexuality and become a part of that community—"

"Oh, my God," Raven half-whispers, completely shocked.

"I want to help you."

"I had no idea," Raven breathes, standing up, "that you were this...indoctrinated."

"Indoctrinated? You're mistaken; I'm not the one who has been indoctrinated. You've been warped by the faults of modern society." It's Apple's turn to stand up now, and she leans slightly over the table, reaching to touch Raven's hand. The violet-haired girl jerks it back as if burned. "It's okay. It isn't your fault. You can be helped."

Apple gazes into Raven's eyes, and she looks so earnest that it makes Raven sick to her stomach. It's too much. And it becomes Raven's turn to run away. She shuffles back at first, and as soon as her back hits one of the bookshelves, she turns around and darts out of the library, not sparing a single thought for her abandoned textbooks.

She doesn't realize how heavily she's panting until she's halfway down an empty hallway, and she slumps against the soothingly cold metal of a locker, shutting her eyes. Perhaps she shouldn't have been shocked, but she was. Her once-best-friend may not have changed much on the outside, but her mind had taken such a drastic trajectory. Or— and it hurt Raven more to think of this— maybe Apple has always had these opinions, and it simply didn't come up when they were young.

Something bumps into Raven. Her eyes snap open as she reclaims her balance, looking around wildly until she sees what ran into her: the back of a small girl, dressed all in mismatched pastels, with a head of untamed blue-and-purple hair.

The girl whips around, her blue eyes wide in what must be surprise. Her phone rests in her hands. "Oh, gambit! I'm superly sorry, there. I really must pay extravagant attention to where my feet clop off to."

Raven's brows furrow at the girl's strange vernacular. "I— uh— um— it's okay?"

The girl clears her throat. "Oh, my bad. You must be new around here; it takes a while to get used to the Wondersville slang. Though, you do look bittily familiar…" She squints her eyes, leaning forward to get a better look at Raven's face. Raven, in turn, nervously leans away. "Hmm. Anyway, I was only trying to get closer to Driporeon."

Raven looks lost. The girl clears her throat once more, holding out her phone to show Raven what's on the screen. It's a small view of the local street map, with a tiny, digital creature superimposed over a nearby road.

"Is that...Polymon Go?" Raven asks. "I didn't know people still played that."

"Well, sometimes I don't know if I'm a people," the girl admits with a shrug. This is when Raven realizes that this girl's wide eyes aren't a sign of surprise; she simply has the largest, roundest eyes that Raven has ever seen. The girl beams. "Hi, I'm Madeline Hatter. Ring me up as Maddie. And this here is Leafasaur, the Seed Polymon. Say hi, Leafasaur." She gestures to a spot beside her, where there is nothing but empty hallway space. After a moment, she bends down, patting the air about a foot above the plain white tiles. She chuckles. "Don't worry, I know he isn't real. Or is he?"

Raven's lips curl up in spite of herself. "Hi, Maddie. Uh...hi, 'Leafasaur'. I'm Raven. Raven Queen."

"Queen," Maddie echoes, popping back up. "Oh. Like Eva Queen."

Raven bites her lip. "Yeah. You, uh...said you were from Wondersville? Look, I'm really sorry to hear about what happened there. I'm not supportive of what my mother did to you guys."

Maddie waves it off with little, fluttering hand gestures. "I know, I know, I know. I could tell just by looking at you. You have a generous face."

"Thank you. I think."

"But I thought that Eva only had a son."

"About that," Raven says slowly. "I'm the twin sister no one knew about. Mom liked to keep me hidden. Whoops."

"Fascinating," Maddie notes. "Say, you wouldn't happen to be the evil twin, would you? For every pair of twins, there is an evil one. Just ask Dexter and Darling; they will back me up on this. It is scientific fact. I'm going to base my senior project on it."

Raven pauses for a long moment, processing, then shakes her head. "I assure you, I'm not the evil twin."

"I knew it," Maddie replies, snapping her fingers together. "It's never the one you suspect, and I suspected you from the second I saw you. So of course it couldn't be you; I knew that the second I saw you."

"That seems like sound logic to me." That's a lie, but Raven is interested enough by this strange student to play along.

Maddie nods proudly. She looks down at her phone, and a little frown blooms onto her face. "Aw, the Driporeon disappeared."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thank you for the condolences. I shall carry on. I already have one, anyway. I caught it back in Wondersville— the Polymon there were always so much stronger."

"I'm guessing Wondersville is still quarantined, then," Raven murmurs.

Maddie nods, which sends her colored curls flying. "Oh, yes. The virus is still quite prevalent. Even those who aren't infected can't leave town."

"Geez, that's awful."

"Yes. I'm one of the fortunate ones," says Maddie. "I happened to get out of dodge just before the quarantine. As did my father, and my closest friends." She tucks her phone away. "We came here right away, because it's so close. Everest is a strange place. Its ethics confound me. But it has plenty of good people, even if they don't know that sometimes they aren't acting good. Even if they don't know that their food is no good." A smile returns to her face. "That's why my father opened up his tea shop here. We serve the best teas, cakes, and biscuits within a hundred miles."

"Wait, your dad runs the Hatter Tea Shop? I passed by it yesterday," Raven muses. "There was a girl outside, sleeping on the roof. I tried to tell someone about it, but they said she'd be fine."

"Oh, that's Kitty. She'll be fine," Maddie assures her with a little gesture. "But she was supposed to be holding up a sandwich board. You didn't see a sandwich board?"

"No."

"I'll have to let my father know. Kitty is always perching around instead of working. She needs some more elbow grease, and that's a fact. Ooh, maybe I can buy some for her at the hardware store."

Raven is about to correct her when a despicable ring echoes across the hallway, signaling the end of lunch period.

"I should be clopping off," Maddie excuses herself. Just before she goes, she puts her face close to Raven's, whispering, "don't worry. I won't tell anyone that you used to be Ryland."

Raven's face turns even more stark-white than it usually is. "You— You can tell? H-How?" Her heart has stopped in her chest. If one person can tell, that means it's possible that other people might be able to tell, too.

"Be calm, new student," Maddie appeals. "You may fool others with your 'I'm just the good twin' charade, but Madeline Hatter knows better. Madeline Hatter has a different way of putting together information to create conclusions. Don't you worry your generous head; no one else needs to know. Just know that I'm keeping an eye on you…'good twin'."

Maddie gives Raven a final wink before bouncing away, presumably in the direction of her next class. Raven leans against the locker once more, taking a slow, deep breath. No one else needs to know. Apple, as brainwashed as she is, will keep her secret, and so will Maddie. No one else needs to know. No one else _will_ know.

"I'll see you at your dad's shop," she finally calls after Maddie, but the Wondersville transfer is long gone.

Raven heads toward her next class.

* * *

 **Wow, how long has it been? Sorry for the wait. Life happens.**

 **The next chapter, if I recall correctly, will center around Ashlynn and Huntelle (fem!Hunter). I know a lot of you guys are anxious to see stories about various characters, but unfortunately, this fic can only be published one chapter at a time. These end-notes here will probably be where I address some of the reviews and comments on previous chapters.**

 **First, I'd like to say that the genderbending is absolutely necessary in order to tell this story the way I want to tell it as an LGBT-centric story. Even if it wasn't, genderbending's just fun, you know? I'd also like to say that Raven/Dexter isn't the main ship, nor will Dexter exist solely as a piece of arm-candy for Raven or as a source of love triangle drama (although the love triangle subplot will still be involved to reflect canon). I'm glad that so many of you have enjoyed the story so far!**

 **I also don't want anyone to be under the impression that any of these characters are "perfect" or completely 100% right in every possible way. That isn't a good mindset to have approaching this fic. We're only two chapters in; all characters, Apple and Raven included, will need to develop as people and learn a thing or two about how things work before any sort of understanding can be reached. But isn't that just how life goes?**

 **R &R if your heart desires! See you at the next chapter.**


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